Preventing Substance Abuse Among American Indian and Alaska Native Youth

Research on the prevention of substance abuse among American Indian and Alaska Native youth offers challenges and demands careful methods. This paper describes such challenges in terms of philosophical, political, and cultural issues surmundiig substance abuse prevention research with American Indian and Alaska Native people. The authors suggest how social work researchers can address these issues through strategies of community 'collaboration, goal sening, and cultural sensitivity. The paper discusses the limits, implications, and future applications of the described strategies for research on the prevention of alcohol and drug abuse among American Indian and Alaska Native youth.     

Grandparents Responsible for Grandchildren in Native‐American Families*

Objectives. The primary goal of this article is to examine factors associated with grandparent care giving within the American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) population. Methods. Data from the 2000 Census of Population, 5% Public Use Microdata Sample, are used to evaluate a multivariate logistic regression model focusing on living with and caring for grandchildren. Particular emphasis is placed on characteristics that may reflect culturally‐based ideas about grandparents' responsibility for the care of their grandchildren. Results. Indicators related to Native‐American identity—specifically, reporting race as AIAN only rather than mixed race, reporting tribal membership, and living in a nonmetropolitan area of an “Indian” state—increase the likelihood of being responsible for a grandchild among Native‐American singles and couples aged 45 and over. Conclusions. Cultural and resource characteristics combine to produce high levels of grandparent care giving within the AIAN population. Inasmuch as those with lower educational and economic resources are especially likely to have responsibility for a grandchild, special attention should be directed toward ensuring adequate support for these caregivers.     

Indian policy as an emergent property of the American policy making process

This paper argues that we can improve our understanding of American Indian policy if we think about it as an emergent behavior of the American policy making process. It is what the political system does and does not do that relates to Native nations. From a perspective guided by complexity theory, Indian policy appears to be about assimilating Indian land and natural resources and not about assimilating Indians into the larger American society. After suggesting that the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 is only the most recent in a long history of assimilation policies to emerge from the American political system, this article concludes that Indian gaming revenues brighten, and paradoxically, threaten the future of American Indian tribes.     

American Indian studies and its evolution in academia

This article traces the progression of American Indian Studies programs and the discipline's evolution in academia. Our research is divided into three sections. The first describes the era of the turbulent 1960s, when programs began and struggled to assert themselves as worthy of independent intellectual status. The second part focuses on American Indian studies programs' efforts to continue maturing as an interdisciplinary field of inquiry. This section includes a discussion of the evolving methods, theories, and concepts used for analysis and research concerning the diversity of American Indian cultures. There were certain structural, personnel, and curriculum problems which presented themselves along the road to academic maturity, some of which remain. The final section suggests characteristics necessary for an ideal American Indian studies program into the 21st century.     

American Indian Ethnic Identity: Tribal Nonresponse in the 1990 Census*

Objectives. About 11 percent of American Indians did not report their tribal affiliation on the 1990 U.S. Census form. I use several theoretical perspectives as tools to explore the reasons behind this surprising omission. Method. Logistic regression analysis is the method employed. Results. American Indians living with someone who speaks an American Indian language are very likely to report a tribal affiliation, as are those living in “Indian states” (states with historically high numbers of American Indians). Those who are least likely to report a tribal affiliation are Hispanic women with low education who report no American Indian ancestry, do not live with other American Indians, and live in a metropolitan area of a “non‐Indian state.” Conclusions. Lack of knowledge of family history appears to be one of the primary causes of tribal nonresponse. Salience of tribal identity also affects responses.     

ENHANCING SELF-CONCEPT AND IDENTIFICATION WITH "INDIANNESS" OF AMERICAN INDIAN GIRLS

The article describes a group work approach for enhancing self-concept and identification with "Indianess" of American Indian girls. An activity-discussion framework was utilized. Group members participated in a group format which consisted of Americant Indian activities and related discussions. Group members gained skills in performing a number of American Indian activities while developing a greater appreciation of their cultural heritage. Evaluation of the group experience indicated positive reactions frotn participants, parents, and group leaders.     

Group Work Practice with American Indians

This paper discusses ways in which social group work can be implemented in behalf of American Indian clientele. Social workers should be aware of the value that American Indians have placed on the use of groups within their own culture, and the importance of understanding the impact of American Indian culture on each individual Amcrican Indian client and tribal group. A number of current issues facing American Indian people are identified. Suggestions are offered for consideration in planning specific group experiences.     

Indian identity

Indian identity has undergone profound changes in the Twentieth Century, but will not disappear in the foreseeable future. This article employs the “new sciences” theory of nonlinear systems, and the concept of metaphor to present Indianness and indianness as alternative images of Indian identity. Indianness is anchored in tribally-based metaphor and is an emergent property of a vital or “living” tribal community and indianness is a generic identity formed in the dominant American society. Although indianness may generate a new Indian identity or identities in the future, the sustaining spark of contemporary Indian communities is a tribally-based Indian identity.     

Who is an American Indian?

Who is an American Indian? This study draws on complexity theory and Deloria’s concept of spatial thinking to suggest that practical and conceptually useful qualitative differences in Indianness can be expressed by understanding tribes as complex adaptive systems (CAS). This understanding supports a model of American Indian identity that more fully reflects the diversity of Indian identities that exist and continue to evolve in the larger context of American society. American Indian identities can be placed on a continuum. At one end lies a spatially defined Indian identity fundamentally shaped and literally “grounded” in specific, geographically identifiable places. At the other end lies an aspatial Indian identity that is essentially disconnected from a geographically identifiable place and formed in the dominant American society.     

School context and American Indian substance use

The present study extends prior research exploring the role of school contextual factors in predicting individual adolescent substance use by examining how a school’s racial composition is associated with American Indian adolescent tobacco and marijuana use. Using a subsample of 523 American Indian students from the restricted use Add Health data, we consider both individual and school contextual factors across 99 schools. Our results suggest that a school’s racial composition is associated with individual tobacco and marijuana use among American Indian youth, but in different ways depending upon the substance. Our findings illustrate the importance of extending research on the correlates of substance use for racial and ethnic minorities beyond studies examining African-Americans and/or Hispanics.     

The impact of kin support on urban American Indian families

Scholars believe that family ties extending out to previous generations, called kin support, may have allowed American Indians to withstand traumatic events. Although a series of traumatic and historical events disrupted the social structures of family life, kin support was found to be a major factor in the survival of American Indians. This study utilized the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study to compare American Indians and whites (n = 1227) in factors that impact kin support. While urban American Indian mothers were similar to whites in a number of elements, American Indian mothers that were not married, fell below the poverty threshold, were younger in age and co‐resided with kin were more likely than their white counterparts to receive kin support. Implications for urban American Indian mothers suggest that maintaining their role as kin keeper may serve as an intrinsic reward and motivation for caring for kin. The role of a kin keeper may also promote the unique contribution in their families and the preservation of their culture. Given the minimal research in this area, results of this study can be used to guide future research and the development of intervention strategies for practitioners working with American Indian families.     

American Indian tribal government support of office-seekers: Findings from the 1994 election

How and why do American Indian tribal governments support political office-seekers? Using results from an extensive survey of tribal governments in Arizona and Oklahoma, our findings suggest that issues, rather than cultural ties or political party affiliation, are the primary impetus for American Indian tribal government support of candidates. Additionally, we examine several ways in which American Indians support candidates for office other than voting. This includes official endorsement, financial contributions, get out the vote efforts (GOTV), and volunteering for a candidate. Ultimately, our findings begin to uncover how and why American Indian tribal governments seek to influence the political process in the current era of evolving “government-to-government” relationships.     

Shared decision‐making: a voice for the Lakota people

Child welfare has long been a concern for American Indians, so much so that Congress passed the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) in 1978. The ICWA was intended to address was the large number of children placed out of home as a result of abuse and/or neglect, and the corresponding lack of tribal and community input regarding their removal and placement. This paper focuses on one group of American Indian people, the Lakota, whose children are overrepresented in the child welfare system. As a promising practice, shared decision‐making will be offered as a culturally appropriate model to build dialogue and cooperation between social workers and their Lakota clients. Shared decision‐making holds promise to help address the important social justice issues identified by Congress and by the Lakota people in the 1970s and which remain largely unresolved some 40 years later.     

Developing nation models for American Indian nation building-Educating the young leaders of our internal developing nations

American Indian Nations share many common issues with nations in the non-Western world which are developing contemporary economic and political systems after a period of colonialization by Western European countries. Native American students can gain greater understanding of the historical process of nation building in which they are engaged and insight into strategies for integrating the contemporary economics and technology with traditional values and practices from the experiences of some of these non-Western nations. College level courses on American Indian government should utilize nation building examples from the non-Western world in addition to examples from contemporary native nations in North America to broaden students' understanding of tribal government development as part of the process of national regeneration being undertaken by formerly colonized peoples throughout the world.     

Climate change in Alaska: Social workers’ attitudes,beliefs, and experiences

The average temperature in Alaska and the North American Arctic has risen at twice the rate of the global average due to climate change, causing changes to the natural environment that affect the physical, social, and emotional well‐being of people and communities. Social workers must be prepared to respond. Using a non‐probability, convenience sample, this study surveyed 159 social workers in Alaska to assess their attitudes and their perceptions of the effects of climate change on their clients and constituents. Results indicate that social workers in Alaska believe that climate change is happening, that human activities are responsible, and that it is a large threat to people in Alaska. Over 75% believe that climate change is dangerous for their clients now or will be dangerous in 10 years. Social workers report that in the past year their clients or constituents have experienced multiple climate change‐related problems with community infrastructure, health, and mental health.     

Options: Racial/Ethnic Identification of Children of Intermarried Couples*

Objective. Whites of various European ethnic backgrounds usually have weak ethnic attachment and have options to identify their ethnic identity ( Waters, 1990 ). What about children born to interracially married couples? Methods. I use 1990 Census data—the last census in which only one race could be chosen—to examine how African American‐white, Latino‐white, Asian American‐white, and American Indian‐white couples identify their children's race/ethnicity. Results. Children of African American‐white couples are least likely to be identified as white, while children of Asian American‐white couples are most likely to be identified as white. Intermarried couples in which the minority spouse is male, native born, or has no white ancestry are more likely to identify their children as minorities than are those in which the minority spouse is female, foreign born, or has part white ancestry. In addition, neighborhood minority concentration increases the likelihood that biracial children are identified as minorities. Conclusion. This study shows that choices of racial and ethnic identification of multiracial children are not as optional as for whites of various European ethnic backgrounds. They are influenced by race/ethnicity of the minority parent, intermarried couples' characteristics, and neighborhood compositions.     

American Indian political incorporation in the post-Indian Gaming Regulatory Act era

Despite the active and growing role American Indians play in the U.S. political system, the study of contemporary political relations between Indian nations and federal and state governments remains underdeveloped in the political science literature. The dearth of inquiry is most notable in examining the efforts American Indians and Indian nations undertake in an attempt to influence public policy. In this paper, we suggest that recent developments, including the passage of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) in 1988, have altered how American Indians participate in the political process. In order to study these recent changes, we suggest that it is appropriate to examine Indian nations’ use of interest group strategies in the political process. We demonstrate how such an approach adds to our understanding of Indian and non-Indian relations by discussing how Indian nations pursued interest group strategies and documenting how resources obtained through gaming have allowed them to expand this strategy.     

Promoting a feminist policy agenda: indigenous women leaders and closet feminism

In the Southwestern United States, Hispanas and American Indian women are increasingly adopting policymaking roles in state, local, and tribal politics. This study examines the influence of gender and ethnic identity on the policy agendas of 30 women who hold public office in New Mexico. Although the findings reveal a distinct pattern of advocacy for a feminist agenda, the majority of these indigenous leaders do not identify themselves or their goals as feminist. This research indicates that women’s policy concerns transcend ethnic/race boundaries. Furthermore, to understand Hispanas’ and Indian women’s politics, and to effectively apply feminist theory to praxis, new models incorporating their practical application of feminism are needed.     

Off-reservation boarding high schools teachers: How are they perceived by former American Indian students?

This study focuses on American Indian adults who attended 4 all-Indian off-reservation boarding high schools located in the Southwest and run by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (B.I.A). A century after openning these off-reservation boarding schools, the B.I.A. shifted its emphasis to closing them. Because of the emphasis placed on closing off-reservation high schools, I was interested in obtaining former American Indian students' perspectives of teacher-student relationships in these off-reservation boarding high schools. I interviewed American Indians asking them to recall their perceptions of former teachers in the off-reservation boarding high schools. This paper focuses on two questions: What were these American Indians' recollections of the teacher-student relationships they had with their former teachers in the boarding school setting? Was the process of assimilation fostered within the context of the all-Indian boarding schools?     

Indigenous Elder Insights About Conventional Care Services in Alaska: Culturally Charged Spaces

Indigenous peoples around the world endure health and social disparities. In the United States, such disparities are typically ameliorated through conventional care services and organizations. Purpose: To examine points of tension that characterize culturally pluralistic care services in the United States, specifically Alaska, within context of Indigenous colonial histories. Design and Methods: The research design is ethnographic and multisited, comprising 12 months of fieldwork across urban, rural and remote village sites in Alaska. A conceptual lens that accounts for culturally diverse social spaces where relations of power are at stake frames research presented here. This work incorporates relational and participatory action research principles with Alaska Native Elders. Ethnographic evidence was collected through multiple methods, including field notes, documents, and interviews, with ethnographic analysis involving atlas.ti. Findings: Alaska Native Elders describe salient points of tension characterizing Alaska’s conventional care services through the following insights: generational curses-—a pain, prejudice on both sides—wounded, and value-systems clash—fighting. Conclusion: This article concludes with discussion about collective anxieties and implications for care services.